Cyclone Murasu intensifies into severe storm over Bay of Bengal
Representational image: Collected
Cyclone “Murasu”, formed in the Bay of Bengal, has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and it may strike the coast on Monday night.
Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) confirmed the matter in a weather forecast. Murasu is located over the Westcentral Bay of Bengal and adjoining Southwest Bay of Bengal, moved northwestward and intensified into a severe cyclonic storm.
As of 3 am, it was positioned 1,390 kilometers away from Chattogram maritime port. Moving further northwestward, the cyclone may slam into the Andhra coast of India as a severe cyclonic storm by Monday night.
The forecast said the maximum sustained wind speed within 64 kilometers of the cyclone center is 89 kilometers per hour, rising to 117 kilometers per hour in gusts. The sea remains rough near the center of the severe cyclonic storm.
Meanwhile, due to the cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, the maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla, and Payra have been advised to keep hoisting distant warning signal number 2. Fishing boats and trawlers operating in the North Bay of Bengal have been advised to navigate with caution close to the coast until further notice.
Earlier, on 27 October, a very severe cyclonic storm formed in the Bay of Bengal, which was named “Arnab”. The following day, Wednesday, it made landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast between Kakinada and Yanam in Puducherry, India.
At that time, the cyclone’s maximum wind speed was 125-135 kilometers per hour, with gusty winds reaching up to 150 kilometers per hour. Under the impact of the cyclone, more than 714 villages were damaged, and at least three people lost their lives.
